Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Tinubu has kept faith with Nigerians on economic reforms, insisting difficult decisions are beginning to yield benefits
Tinubu Has Kept Faith with Nigerians on Reforms – Shettima
By Newsheadline247
Vice-President Kashim Shettima has defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, insisting that the administration is fulfilling its campaign promises and that Nigerians are beginning to reap the benefits of its difficult policy decisions.
Shettima acknowledged the economic sacrifices imposed on citizens but maintained that the reforms were necessary to rebuild the country and strengthen its economy.
The Vice-President spoke on Thursday at the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, where Governor Biodun Oyebanji pledged that the state would deliver at least 90 per cent of its registered voters for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The rally also witnessed declarations of support for Tinubu’s re-election bid by governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party and Allied Peoples Movement in the last governorship election in Ekiti.
In a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice-President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said the administration recognised the difficulties Nigerians had endured because of its economic policies but insisted that the sacrifices were beginning to yield positive results.
“We know the sacrifices you have made, and we are beginning to reap the benefits of those difficult decisions. His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has remained faithful to the commitments we made to you.
“We have begun to fulfil those commitments, and we have returned to account for the work already done and the tasks that remain. We have come to seek the renewal of your mandate, to continue the partnership we began and to finish the work you entrusted to us”, he declared.
The Vice-President highlighted several federal government projects and interventions in Ekiti, particularly in healthcare, electricity, road infrastructure, education and agriculture, as evidence of the administration’s commitment to translating its reform agenda into tangible development.
On healthcare, he cited the conversion of the former State Specialist Hospital in Ikole-Ekiti into a Federal Medical Centre, noting that the facility would complement the Federal Teaching Hospital in Ido-Ekiti.
Shettima also disclosed that equipment had arrived for electricity substations in Ilupeju and Ijesa-Isu, while work was progressing on the Ikere switching station.
“We have also turned our attention to your electricity needs. Equipment has arrived for the substations at Ilupeju and Ijesa-Isu, alongside ongoing work on the Ikere switching station.
“We have approved additional electricity distribution lines and transferred regulatory authority over your intrastate electricity market to Ekiti State. We understand what these interventions mean to you”, he said.
On road infrastructure, the Vice-President listed the Akure–Ikere–Ado-Ekiti road and the reconstruction of the Itawure–Aramoko–Ado-Ekiti road among the federal projects being undertaken in the state.
He added that other road interventions covering Aramoko, Ijero, Ifaki, Oye, Ikole and Omuo were at different stages of execution.
“Our duty is to see the work through. Every unfinished road is a responsibility awaiting fulfilment”, Shettima stated.
The Vice-President also highlighted the establishment of the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences in Iyin-Ekiti, alongside the extension of Nigerian Education Loan Fund facilities to students of Ekiti State University and Bamidele Olumilua University.
He further recalled the commissioning of an Information and Communications Technology Experience Centre at Ekiti State University through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
According to Shettima, the Federal Government remained committed to ensuring that financial difficulties did not prevent deserving Nigerian children from accessing quality education, particularly in Ekiti, widely regarded as the land of professors.
On agriculture, he said the administration had introduced interventions involving the distribution of fertilisers and improved planting materials to participating farmers to boost food production and strengthen rural livelihoods.
Shettima also praised Ekiti’s political significance, describing the state as an important electoral barometer whose political choices command national attention.
“Ekiti has become a litmus test for elections in Nigeria. You lead the nation in speaking with a voice that deserves respect and reflection. We have returned to acknowledge that voice and thank you for your warmth”, he said.
While urging residents to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, the Vice-President maintained that the decision to renew the administration’s mandate rested with the electorate.
“We seek your mandate to complete the work we have begun, fulfil the commitments we have made and carry this mission to its conclusion”, he added.
In his remarks, Oyebanji said the Federal Government’s infrastructure interventions had earned Tinubu considerable goodwill among residents of Ekiti.
He specifically commended the President for approving several federal road projects and other development initiatives in the state, promising that voters would demonstrate their appreciation at the 2027 presidential election.
“We will use our votes to say thank you to a President who has given approval for so many federal roads and other critical projects in Ekiti State. The people of Ekiti will return the President with no less than 90 per cent of registered voters”, the governor declared.
The rally also recorded endorsements from governorship candidates of the PDP, SDP and APM in the last Ekiti governorship election, who pledged to mobilise their supporters for Tinubu’s re-election.
The opposition politicians said their decision to support the President was informed by the Federal Government’s interventions in Ekiti, stressing that their position transcended party affiliations and was driven by the state’s development interests.
APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, also defended the administration’s record, citing infrastructure development, education financing and tax reforms as reasons the party was seeking another presidential term for Tinubu.
He argued that the government’s tax policies had eased the burden on small business owners, while the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and federal infrastructure investments were creating opportunities for Nigerians.
“Unlike in the past, when small business owners were being strangled by taxes they could not afford, the coming of President Tinubu has checked that excess.
“The NELFUND student loan scheme, the construction of roads, the establishment and upgrading of federal institutions, and other interventions are clear manifestations of the President’s goodwill and his determination to improve the lives of Nigerians”, Yilwatda said.
Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, appealed to Ekiti voters and the wider South-West electorate to support Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
Yari said the administration had demonstrated commitment to the development of the region, adding that the President enjoyed political support beyond his traditional South-West base.
Former APC National Chairman and Deputy Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council in charge of mobilisation, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, also canvassed support for Tinubu, citing what he described as improvements in economic management, security and education.
He particularly highlighted the student loan programme as an important intervention aimed at preparing Nigerian youths for opportunities in the global knowledge economy.
“President Tinubu has been able to address some of the challenges that have long bedevilled the country. These include the recruitment of more personnel into the Armed Forces, the stabilisation of the foreign exchange market, and the steady growth of the nation’s economy”, he said.
